When you decide to keep a player for the long term in the NFL, the smart move is usually extending him as soon as possible. With annual significant cap increases, the market only goes up, and rarely waiting ends up working out.

That's how the Green Bay Packers took advantage of the edge market. During the 2023 season, the last of Rashan Gary's rookie deal, the team utilized the structure of the fifth-year option and added a four-year, $96 million extension on top of that to secure the defender through 2027.

The $24 million yearly average initially looked like a tough pill to swallow. But six months in, and it's already a bargain.

The two other second-tier edge rushers from the 2019 draft class, Josh Allen and Brian Burns, didn't sign extensions before their rookie deals expired. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers were forced to apply a franchise tag, and that led to bigger contracts.

How each contract was structured

Rashan Gary signed a four-year, $96 million deal. The most team-friendly aspect of the contract is that there are no guarantees after year 1 — the total guarantees are just $34.6 million. Practically, Green Bay won't cut Gary before 2026, but they have more flexibility.

"It's great to get that taken care of," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said right after the extension was reached. "Obviously, it's well-deserved and he's earned everything. I'm a big believer in people that approach it the right way, that are talented, that come to work with mindset and determination that he possesses. He's a tone-setter. So, I'm really happy for him, I'm happy for our organization."

Eighteen months after declining two firsts and a third-round pick from the Los Angeles Rams for Brian Burns, the Panthers couldn't find an agreement, so they ended up trading him to the New York Giants for a second-rounder. Burns signed a five-year, $141 million contract ($28.2 million per year), with $87.5 million in guarantees.

Last year, even coming back from an ACL injury, Gary had 60 pressures (one pressure every 6.4 pass rush snaps, according to PFF data). Meanwhile, Burns had 40 pressures (one every 9.15 pass rush snaps).

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally decided to pay Josh Allen. He has been more productive and overall better than Rashan Gary. Last season, Allen had 17.5 sacks and 90 total pressures (one every 5.7 pass rush snaps). But the difference is probably not that big, especially projecting future performance. Either way, Allen got a five-year, $150 million deal with $88 million in guarantees. The $30 million yearly average is third among defensive players, only behind Nick Bosa and Chris Jones.

Rashan Gary hasn't had a double-digit sack season in the NFL yet. Last year, his production fell off in the second half of the season, but he was still able to consistently generate pressure and affect the game.

In 2019, there were fair criticisms about Gary's rawness and how much time it would take to develop him. In fact, Gary only became the Packers' preferred starter in his fourth season in the league, 2022, when the team released Za'Darius Smith — in 2021, Gary started mostly because Smith hurt his back.

But now, Rashan Gary is a fully developed pass rusher. He's only 26 years old, and the Packers have him under a reasonable deal for years to come.

Packers make telling decision on Rashan Gary

Move opened up more than $4 million in the 2024 salary cap